Michael Dowell is the youngest of three brothers. He has two twin brothers, David Dowell and Andrew Dowell, who both play for the Michigan State Spartans as sophomores. He looks up to them just as much as his father.
“My dad always has, my dad always will. My dad puts the dreams into action for me and my brothers. …He makes it happen and he started with us from a young age.”
Michael Dowell is currently playing for the St. Edward High School Eagles in Lakewood, Ohio. St. Edward football head coach Tom Lombardo spoke about Michael’s work ethic and where he gets it from.
“His work ethic. His two brothers both play at Michigan State. His twin brothers, I think about three or four years older than him. I think that they have served as role models for him and he watched them and sees what it takes.”
Michael Dowell played on the junior varsity football team as a sophomore so now that he is a varsity player he wants to win a state title. His first state title would be St. Edwards’ third championship in three years. In 2015, the Eagles went 14-1 (1-0 Conference) and beat Wayne High School for the second year in a row, 45-35, to win their second championship.
“The thing I’ll miss the most about playing at St. Edwards High School is the brotherhood. It’s [not just] about playing at the school but going to the school, it’s something that you’ll never, ever, experience anywhere else. That’s what I’ve heard and I’m going to miss that a lot, going [into battle] and playing games with my brothers,” Michael Dowell said.
He calls North Ridgeville, Ohio home.
“…North Ridgeville has always been close to my heart. I never chose to go to high school [in Lakewood] but North Ridgeville has a big impact on my life and always will.”
The six-foot-one, 190 pound, defensive back and wide receiver has a total of five scholarship offers from these schools: Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Michigan State, Pittsburgh and Toledo. He said those are his top five schools because they have given him a chance to play college football with their program. He’s also interested in Notre Dame, Penn State, West Virginia and Ohio State.
“The recruiting process has been really good for me, exciting and what not. The recruiting process was a little slow at first but it took off this winter and spring. [It] slowed down again but hopefully, it will take off again once I start actually playing this year more schools come in and give me a chance to play at their college.”
The four-star 2018 recruit does not know yet when he will make his commitment decision. See his sophomore highlight film here.
When he takes his visits during the process he said that he’s looking for somewhere that he can build his relationship with God, somewhere where he can feel like a part of the family and he wants to go to a football program and have a chance to play as a freshman. Building a relationship with God he said will always be number one.
“My brother David [Dowell], I always looked up to him as a defensive back but in the NFL and what not, it’d probably be Jalen Ramsey. I see myself as a player who could be like Jalen Ramsey, make plays like Jalen Ramsey and I have the same frame as [him],” Michael Dowell said about players he likens his play too.
Being physical is what allows him to play wide receiver while he also plays the position that defends against it.
“…I know corner [backs] want to be physical, want to get up on you, want to fight you at the line and what not. When I’m playing receiver, I know [I need] to be patient and not let the cornerback try to hit me but [also] don’t try to get off the line [of scrimmage] to quick because I know I have a lot more time than a regular receiver will think he does.”
He added that he gets to see how both an offensive player and defensive player thinks and when he’s on defense he tries to take away the things he would want as an offensive player.
Michael Dowell is now an upperclassman. It’s up to him now to put his stamp on his career at St. Edward. Will he follow his brothers’ paths and go to Michigan State or forge his own path elsewhere? He has plenty of time to figure that out.